Brissie Kid
Bencher
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/northern-beaches/sea-eagles-still-haunted-by-shock-loss-after-40-years/story-fngr8iii-1227015567471
Sea Eagles still haunted by shock loss after 40 years
Jon Geddes
Manly Daily
August 06, 2014 4:33PM
Sea Eagles star Malcolm Reilly playing against Western Division
TOMORROW marks the 40th anniversary of the game that got away from the Sea Eagles and probably cost the club another championship title.
It was a bitterly cold day on August 7 1974 when Manly flew to Orange to play the NSW Country outfit Western Division in the semi-final of the midweek Amco Cup.
And to this day a mystery surrounds the Manly side that took the field for the game.
They were missing stars Bob Fulton, Ray Branighan, Terry Randall, Ian Martin and John O’Neill who were all key members of the Manly side that defeated Cronulla in the brutal 1973 grand final.
But there have always been questions as to whether Manly had taken their opponents too easily and if all the players really were injured.
When the scores were locked at 12-all at fulltime Western Division proceeded to the final on a penalty countback.
Manly fullback Graham Eadie leaves the field injured.
The underdogs became part of rugby league folklore when they defeated Penrith 6-2 in the final.
The drama surrounding the shock exit of the defending titleholders Manly from the Amco Cup is detailed in the new book The Night The Music Died (Stoke Hill Press) by renowned writer Ian Heads that plots Western Division’s triumph.
It was the last year of black and white television and the Channel Ten commentary team was Kerry Buckeridge and a rising talent named Ray Warren.
Despite the absent players Heads said Manly still fielded an impressive outfit at Wade Park that included six current or past internationals, two future Test stars and two more who had represented NSW.
Heads wrote all eyes were on English international Malcolm Reilly, who was making his comeback after serving a four-game suspension for belting Australian Test halfback Tom Raudonikis in a spiteful game against Western Suburbs at Lidcombe Oval.
And that Amco Cup game was also Reilly’s return from a two-ban after and Penrith’s Test forward Bill Ashurst were both sent off for headbutting in a match at Brookvale.
“The game blossomed into a cracker, with Western Division on the back foot almost to the last breath,” Heads wrote.
Manly hooker Fred Jones gets the ball away to Phil Lowe.
With the scores locked at 12-all right on fulltime Mark Willoughy, a late replacement in the Manly side, had the chance to snatch victory with a penalty attempt from wide out right on fulltime.
When Willoughby was about to move in for the kick the crowd invaded the sideline, booing the referee and the Manly players and missed the goal after the ball came off the side of his boot.
As Western Division conceded 10 penalties to Manly’s 11, they were declared winners.
Peter Peters, who was in the Manly pack for that game, has helped clear up the unanswered question from the game.
“I think all these years later we can say we took them a little bit easy,” he said.
“When we got to the ground we got changed on chicken sheds and I’ve never been so cold in all my life.
“And when we got on the field all these big farmers just belted us.”
Anyone know much about the Amco Cup in 1970s. Way before my time. Was this game on tv in Sydney?
